October 31, 2005

A spin on spam is spim.

When your IM is attacked, it's called "spimming." 70 per cent of spim is porn-related, according to a report from the market research Radicati Group. Nice.

Spim is growing at about three times the rate of spam, because of the proliferation of Instant Messaging. Pew Research found that nearly 40 percent of IM users under 30 have gotten spim, along with 27 percent of users aged 30 to 49.

According to Pew, here are some quick tips to avoid spim:

>> Never post personal information on IM.
>> Never respond to a message sent unsolicited by a user you don't know.
>> Be careful posting your screen name on Web sites.
>> Do not click on links in messages that appear to be sent by someone on your buddy list.
>> Check out IM Logic's Threat Center to find out about the latest threats.
>> Set your preferences on your IM client to only accept messages from your buddy list.

And here's my warning spin on IM - especially for people who use IM to talk to their friends and co-workers during their regular work hours. Your conversations can be captured in e-discovery, if your company ever needs to. Take it from a girl who worked at Enron, was called into an attorney's office for a defendant, and saw some of her e-mail referenced in discovery. That can really be unnerving.

And a note to marketers and policy makers: Your company's electronic privacy policy should be updated to cover blogs and IM.

Posted by at October 31, 2005

Comments

Darien email - www.auburn.edu

I have never heard of SPIM and I have never heard of people using IM messages as means of getting people to link to porn sites. I do not use IM that often anymore. I use it occansionally to talk to friends that I have not talked to in awhile. But, for some of us, we have younger brothers and sisters that use IM daily to talk to their friends. I have never been spimmed and I don't know if my sister has but, in the case as Diana was saying, they are using names that look familiar and normal. If they are using these names, people are more curious to know who is behind the message and that is another reason why it is so dangerous. I have not posted my screen name anywhere because usually now if someone wants it they will ask me on the phone or in person and I don't actually use it often enough to think of it as a means of getting in touch with me.

I agree that people should definitely be more aware of this. I know I had no idea and I am almost sure my parents do not either. There are probably many parents that do not know that viruses and porn are being spread by IM. I think that some people are more aware now of SPAM obviously in their e-mails but they might not know that their children are targets of this SPIM. It's sad to me that something as simple as e-mail and now IM are being attacked by these invaders.

I was also unaware of e-discovery. This is crazy. I mean it makes sense for business reasons maybe, but honestly, something about that doesn't sound right.

Diana email - diana.prblogs.org

You know I get these messages all the time and I never knew what they were called. Thanks for informing me. Now I don't know what I did but for some reason I get about five spim a day. The funny thing about it is that I used to have a million viruses on my computer. So, this summer I reformatted my computer. I installed a new Windows XP, AIM, Microsoft Office, everything. When I did have all these viruses on my computer, I never had a problem with spim. Now, I consider myself more or less virus-free and I am getting attacked by them everyday.

I have never replied to Spim, I don't list my screen name anywhere and I never click on links. I usually know that something is Spim when the screen name is something like "akldjfalkjdl." However, lately they have been getting more high-tech. Their names are now Pam9090 or josh1245, names that vary possibly could be someone that I know.

Now I have never read anything on the effectiveness of Spim but, it seems to be a waste. Is there no other way for these porn sites to reach their target audience? Using a medium that is viewed unfavorably gives your company an unfavorable view as well. Now, these may be porn sites but, public relations is important for them too. Furthermore, I think that the government needs to be stepping in. I have been getting Spim since I was 12 and advertising these sites to minors has got to be a crime. Maybe it's just me but something has got to be done.

Josh email - josh.prblogs.org/

Now I even have greater respects for my parents. Let me explain. My parents forbid the use of instant messenger in our house. I always got so mad when I came home for Christmas or Summer because I never got to get on. I guess I have never really thought about the dangerous effects this could have on your workplace and your computer.

I am addicted to IM. My roommate always makes fun of me because I am on it all the time. I have never applied to fill out the profile because I believe that is dangerous for many reasons. I believe, however, that IM is a good thing and should be used. Just like with everything though, you have to be careful. My worst fear is that my computer will crash and I will lose everything. That is why I never click on anything that I don't recognize. It is simply not safe. The internet is not safe.

I am another person who has never heard of e-discovery. I had no idea they could track what you say like that. Like I said before, I believe that IM could work well in the workplace, with meetings and conferences. All of it could take place on IM. Companies just have to reconsider what they talk about on IM.

There should be more done to notify people of this. Parents who have young children on IM and employers should let their employees know of this. It is all about protecting yourself, your company and your family.

Kelli email - kelli.prblogs.org

My little brothers are on IM all of the time and the youngest is 14, but they have been using instant messenger since they were younger than 10. It is sick to think about what they could be exposed to. I don't use IM like most college kids, but even the occasional time I use it, I have gotten IM's requesting that I visit links. It is so easy for young kids to find their way into pornographic material and for anyone to be unprotected.

I haven't heard about e-discovery, but everyone needs to be aware that everything can be monitored. Of course personal e-mails and instant messenger should not be used in the work place, but it is not enforced.

I think more things need to be done to protect companies and children. I definitely agree with Katie when she said, "It is important that employees are aware of these policies. At the same time, policy-makers should revise policies as new technologies emerge."

In my marketing class we were talking about Spam and my professor told me that 75-80% of all e-mail is Spam. Now not only is e-mail being invaded, but online chatting is getting bombarded with Spim, what is going to be next?

Janet email - www.marqui.com

Next you'll find RSS feeds being spammed. The folks who do it are clever - but with people like you being educated on the market and the potential problem, we've got a bright future ahead. You - and your brothers and sisters - and friends won't put up with a digital world full of garbage.

That's the beauty of online communities - they'll develop tools to keep themselves as clean and safe as possible.

Thanks to all of you for opening your minds to the challenges companies (and individuals) face with all of these new communications tools!

ErinM email - www.erinm.prblogs.org

This is not good news...just one more online danger to look out for. As much as I love a bit of unexpected pornography, I'm shocked that they are hitting us on the IM. I guess creepy SWM's have some competition!

An article on NewScientist talks about what I find to be the most intrusive (not to mention just plain wrong) is the fact that they can use your buddy list to attack your friends. Spim is not too new for the FCC and their stance on spam is this:

The CAN-SPAM Act requires the Federal Communications Commission to issue rules with regard to commercial e-mail and some text messages sent to wireless devices such as cell phones—not e-mail in general. Specifically, section 14 of the CAN-SPAM Act requires the Commission to develop rules to protect consumers from “unwanted mobile service commercial messages.”

But as we know, it is hard to find the source of spam/spim, much less penalize them. The FCC wants to make it easier to find spammers/spimmers, but run into a wall when they infringe on our right to privacy. This just proves that the world is full of people desperate to make a buck and who have little consideration for others

Katie email - katie.prblogs.org

Although I had never heard the term SPIM before, I'll admit that I've been affected by it. I've used IM since I was in eighth grade and I have had my fair share of unwanted messages and SPAM. But I've never applied to be in an IM search directory or filled out a profile with personal information. I think that this had greatly reduced the percentage of SPIM that I might have received. However, I once made the mistake of clicking on a link sent by a friend and it ended up being a nasty virus. Even the most cautious IM users definitely have to be careful, because SPIM has a tricky way of sneaking into messages. So, the tips are certainly helpful.

I also think it is good to remind people that conversations can be captured in e-discovery. It's something that I have never thought about, but neglecting to censor your instant messages can have serious consequences – especially in an office setting. My general impression is that instant messaging/personal emails/personal calls/etc. is frowned upon in the work place because it is distracting. I'm sure each company has individual policies for use of such technologies, so every organization is different.

It is important that employees are aware of these policies. At the same time, policy-makers should revise policies as new technologies emerge.

Nikki email - nikki.prblogs.org

This is exactly why I don't IM anymore. I'm glad I got out of there before all of this "spimming" started.

That's awful that the majority of the spim is pornographic, since a lot of IMers are well under the age of 18. I work with young children at camp and church, and many of them have instant messaging without any parental controls. I wonder if their parents are really aware about the dangers of this spimming.

I've never heard of e-discovery. Do companies use this program to track employees' internet use? Sounds somewhat illegal. But then again, employees shouldn't be disclosing company information on the web. It's good to be careful with anything you put down in print, whether online or handwritten.

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